Meet woman, daughter of rickshaw driver, cracked UPSC in second attempt to become Maharashtra's first female Muslim IAS officer, her AIR is...

Adiba Ahmed, a woman from Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district made history by cracking the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam as she became the first Muslim woman from Maharashtra to become an IAS officer. Not only did she crack the exam but also secured an impressive All India 142nd rank. In the UPSC 2024 exam, women proved their worth as a huge number of them ranked among toppers. Among these toppers is Adiba who achieved a remarkable milestone and made her family and even district proud of her achievements.  

Adiba Ahmed’s education 

Ahmed completed her schooling at Abeda Inamdar College, Pune after which she completed her higher education in Urdu and Mathematics. As her schooling and bachelor’s degree were completed, she started preparing for the UPSC exam. Adiba says that the credit for her success goes to her family for their immense support. “I had decided right after 12th grade that I wanted to crack the UPSC. I was inspired by my maternal uncle, who is the secretary of an NGO. His guidance gave me the courage to move forward in this direction.” 

Adiba's father is a rickshaw driver, and her mother is a homemaker, who supported her as they realised that her daughter has put all her heart and soul to the UPSC preparation and that her struggles would result in great results for her.  

Adiba's UPSC success

Only few are able to crack the UPSC exam in their first attempt, although doing so in the second attempt is also a remarkable feat as getting UPSC cleared takes years and a majority of times students are never able to pass even after years of toiling. But for Adiba this struggles was not a long one as she cleared the UPSC exam in the second attempt. Working harder and with new planning, Adiba was able to make it in the top 150 students all over India. Regarding her UPSC journey, Adiba said, "There were many moments along the way when it felt impossible, but my family's support and my determination never let me turn back."

She received congratulatory messages from all her friends and family members who pushed her to go ahead in this field and make everyone even prouder. On this occasion, her father said, “Our daughter has proven that if one is determined, any goal can be achieved. We feel proud that our daughter has created history.” 

After the UPSC declared the results for 2024, a list of 1,009 candidates came whom the commission recommended for appointment to various Services. Among these, 284 are women and three of them are also among the top five with Shakti Dubey being the topper with AIR 1.